Electrical Machines

Abstract: An electrical machine, such as an electric motor, dynamo or alternator has a casing (26) with cooling vents (64) enabling cooling fluid (F) to flow into and out of the casing when the rotor (10) of the electrical machine rotates. The rotor (10) may be formed from conductive elements (44) connected together at their outer regions by interconnecting members (40) which have vanes (68, 70) arranged to direct cooling fluid over the outer regions. Each conductive element (44) is a metal strip (45) with legs (46, 48) bent in opposite directions (D 1 , D 2 ) relative to the plane of the strip. Portions of the windings (28, 30) of the rotor (10) are spaced apart to allow fluid to flow between the windings to enhance the cooling effect. With a current carrying rotor, the magnetic field intensity across the rotor is varied by varying the axial separation of the rotor and the stator (74, 76).

Description: The present invention relates to electrical machines which convert mechanical energy into electrical energy, or vice versa, by an interaction between a magnetic field and an electric current. In particular, the present invention relates to a casing for such an electric machine, a rotor for such an electric machine, a conductive element of a rotor winding for such an electric machine, and a method of forming such a conductive element. Examples of such electric machines are electric motors, dynamos and alternators. In known electric machines, the assembly of a rotor winding may be time consuming and therefore expensive. Moreover the rotor winding often comprises a large number of different parts, which increases the overall cost of the electric machine. The performance of such electric machines may also be limited by the amount of heat generated in the rotor winding and in the region of the commutator. As a result of this limited performance, the range of applications of such electric machines, particularly in electrically powered vehicles, has been restricted. EP 230759 relates to a rotor for an electrical machine, the rotor having a current-carrying winding comprising a plurality of circumferentially distributed winding portions which lie in at least one plane perpendicular to the rotor axis, and extend from a radially inner region to a radially outer region. A commutator is provided by surfaces of the winding portions at the inner region, and the winding is formed from a plurality of conductive sections, each having ends which lie at said outer region, interconnections between the winding sections being made only by way of those ends. EP 104450 relates to an electric rotary machine including a stationary armature coil, and a rotor for generating a rotary magnetic field, wherein the armature coil is formed with slits arranged radially and each located between segments of the coil which are arranged radially, and the armature coil is supported with radial gaps at outer and inner peripheral edges of the armature coil, so that thermal strain in the coil can be released through the slits, gaps, and a resilient insulator, and thermal stresses can be prevented from developing. By utilizing the rotation of the rotor, air is introduced from outside to a central portion of the armature coil, from which it is allowed to flow radially outwardly along the armature coil, to thereby suppress a rise in the temperature of the armature coil. German Utility Patent U 9305152 relates to a rotor for an electrical machine, whereby the rotor includes a plurality of winding elements. The winding elements are conically shaped, such that the edges of an isolation gap between each two adjacent winding elements are parallel at least in the whole contact area of the commutator. French Patent Application FR 2534085 relates to a compact DC motor with a plane commutator whose plates join together the adjacent ends of two layers of winding. A first layer has straight ends which go directly into holes in the plates and a second layer is formed by involutes of a circle arranged in flat coils. According to the present invention, there is provided a conductive rotor for an electrical machine, having a current-carrying winding comprising a plurality of circumferentially distributed winding portions which lie in a plurality of winding planes perpendicular to the rotor axis, and extend from a radially inner region to a radially outer region, wherein each winding portion includes a radially extending section and a radially outer section extending at a substantial angle less than 90 degrees relative to the radius in which said radially extending section lies, wherein the radially outer sections of adjacent winding portions are spaced apart to allow fluid flow therebetween over a substantial portion of the length of the radially outer sections, characterised in that circumferentially adjacent ones of the winding portions contact each other adjacent a radially inner end of the radially outer sections so as to promote a component of said fluid flow axially of the rotor through the gaps between adjacent radially outer portions. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a conductive rotor for an electrical machine, having a current-carrying winding comprising a plurality of circumferentially distributed winding portions which lie in a plurality of winding planes perpendicular to the rotor axis, and extend from a radially inner region to a radially outer region, and a commutator provided by surfaces of the winding portions, the winding being formed of a plurality of integrally formed conductive elements each comprising a metal strip, characterised in that the surfaces providing the commutator are edge surfaces of the metal strip, said edge surfaces being spaced apart from each other to allow fluid flow therebetween for cooling the commutator. Preferably, the major surfaces of the metal strip adjacent the commutator are coated with an insulating material which is brittle or has relatively low wear resistance. As a result, electrical contact between adjacent conductive elements in the commutator area, caused for example by conductive brush dust, is prevented, while the insulating coating is worn down by contact with brushes which contact the commutator, in order to maintain a good contact between the brushes and the commutator. The insulating material which is worn away, together with brush dust and other debris, may then be removed by the cooling fluid flowing through the spaces between the conductive elements in the commutator area. According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a casing for an electrical machine having a rotor, said casing having first and second sets of cooling vents enabling cooling fluid to flow respectively into and out of said casing when said rotor rotates, in which the first set of vents is disposed at a radially inner portion of the casing to one axial side of the rotor, and the second set of vents is disposed at a radially outer portion of the casing, characterised in that said casing includes a fluid passage having an inlet arranged at an opposite axial side of the rotor from the first set of vents, and an outlet arranged radially outwardly of the inlet, such that, in use of the machine, cooling fluid will be directed axially through a radially inner portion of the rotor to the inlet into the fluid passage and will thereafter be directed towards a radially outer portion of the rotor from the outlet. Thus, the cooling fluid flows through the rotor from the apertures to the inlet of the fluid passage and is directed in an axial direction at a radially outer portion of the rotor towards the second set of vents. In one embodiment, the action of the second set of vents reduces the pressure of cooling fluid within the casing, thereby drawing cooling fluid into the apertures at the radially inner portion. Because the second set of vents may be inclined in one sense only, this embodiment is only effective in one direction of rotation of the rotor. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a rotor for an electrical machine, having a current-carrying winding comprising a plurality of circumferentially distributed winding portions which lie in a plurality of winding planes perpendicular to the rotor axis, and extend from a radially inner region to a radially outer region, the winding being formed from a plurality of conductive sections each having ends which lie at said outer regions, characterised in that interconnections between said ends of said conductive sections are made by interconnecting members having vanes arranged to direct cooling fluid over said ends. Specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a cross-section in an axial plane of an electric motor embodying aspects of the present invention; Figure 2a is a schematic view in the axial direction of the rotor of the electric motor shown in Figure 1; Figure 2b shows a detail of the rotor of Figure 2a; Figure 3a is a view in an axial direction of a single conductive element; Figure 3b is a view of the conductive element of Figure 3a in a radial direction; Figure 3c is a plan view of a blank from which the conductive element of Figures 3a and 3b is formed; Figure 4 is a plan view of a blank from which an alternative conductive element is formed; Figures 5a to 5e are plan views of alternative conductive elements showing commutating points; Figure 6a is a side elevational view in an axial direction of a casing in accordance with the present invention; Figure 6b is a view in a radial direction of the casing of Figure 6a; Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view through the axis of rotation of an electrical machine having another embodiment of a casing in accordance with the present invention; Figure 8 is a view in a radial direction of a portion of a rotor in accordance with one aspect of the present invention; and Figure 9 is a diagrammatic end view of an electrical machine in accordance with a further aspect of the present invention. Figure 1 shows an electric motor having a rotor 10, through which current flows, and two sets of permanent magnets 12 and 13 arranged on respective opposite axial sides of the rotor 10. The magnets 12 and 13 are mounted on respective first and second stator plates 14 and 15. Each of the stator plates 14, 16 thus carries a set of permanent magnets arranged in a circle with alternately opposite magnetic poles thereof facing the rotor. The circles of magnets are arranged in mutual register so that each magnet 12 on one side of the rotor is aligned in a direction parallel to the rotor axis with a corresponding magnet 13 on the other side of the rotor. Each such pair of opposite magnets 12, 13 is arranged with opposite magnetic poles facing the rotor, as shown in Figure 1. The magnets may be ferrite magnets or rare earth element magnets. Electric current is supplied to the rotor 10 through brushes (not shown) at commutator points P 1 . The rotor 10 includes a dove-tailed portion 18 which is fitted onto a hub 20 which is shaped with an annular inclined shoulder 20' to inter-engage with the dove-tailed portion 18. The rotor 10 is clamped onto the hub 20 by a cap 22 which is bolted onto the hub 20. The hub 20 is connected to a spindle 17 which is rotatably mounted in the first stator plate 14 by means of bearings 24. The first and second stator plates 14 and 16 are joined by spacer rods 25 and the spacing between them is closed by a cylindrical casing 26. Referring also to Figure 2a and 2b, the rotor 10 is constructed as a disc from a number of circumferentially spaced winding portions. First winding portions 28, shown in solid outline, are arranged in a first plane W 1 perpendicular to the axis of the rotor, while second winding portions 30, shown in dotted outline, are arranged in a second plane W 2 parallel to the first plane, behind the first winding portions 28. Each winding portion 28, 30 includes a radially extending section 32, through which the magnetic field passes, a radially inner section 34 bent in one circumferential sense at a shallow angle to the radially extending section 32, and a radially outer section 36 bent in the opposite circumferential sense at a substantial angle  less than 90° relative to the radially extending section 32 towards the tangential direction. The radially outer section 36 terminates in an outwardly turned end section 38. The end section 38 of each first winding portion 28 in the first plane W 1 is connected to an adjacent end section 38 of a second winding portion 30 in the second plane W 2 and at the same circumferential position by a connecting cap 40 soldered onto the end sections 38. As the first and second winding portions are bent in opposite directions, the radially extending section 32 of the second winding portion 30 is displaced around the circumference of the rotor from the radially extending section 32 of the first winding portion 28 by an angle approximately equal to the pitch of the permanent magnets 12 or 13 on the respective stator plates 14 or 16. Thus, the electromagnetically generated tangential forces on the radially extending sections 32 of the first and second winding portions 28 and 30 are in the same sense. Each winding portion 28 is also in electrical contact with a second winding portion 30 at their radially inner sections 34 so that the current path alternates between the first and second winding portions 28 and 30. The current path around the rotor is shown by arrows in Figure 2a, which shows that starting at an arbitrary starting point, such as point P 8 at the inner end of one first winding portion 28, the current path in one cycle around the rotor 10 does not return to that starting point but to an adjacent point P 9 displaced by one winding pitch from the starting point P 8 . Thus, the first and second winding portions 28, 30 are connected together in a continuous current-carrying loop to form the wave-wound rotor 10. The magnetic field strength across the radially extending sections 32 is enhanced by laminations 42 of a material having high magnetic permeability, for example mild steel, silicon steel or soft iron, which are inserted in stacks in the spaces between radially extending sections 32 of the winding portion 28 and 30. As shown in greater detail in Figure 2b, an insulating wrapper 43 is first placed in the spaces and then the stacks are placed within it. However, gaps G 1 between adjacent radially outer sections 36 and gaps G 2 between adjacent radially inner sections 34 are kept open to allow air, constituting a cooling fluid, to flow between the winding portions 28, 30. Fluid flow through the gaps G 1 may be guided by allowing the radially outer sections 36 of adjacent winding portions 28, 30 to contact each other at a section b, which in this case is at the junction bend between the radially extending section 32 and the radially outer section 36. Thus, cooling fluid flows axially between the radially outer sections 36, where a large surface area of the winding portions 28, 30 is exposed and is prevented from flowing past the section b in a tangential direction. In one example, the section b extends over approximately a third of the length of the radially outer sections 36, with the remaining two-thirds of the length being open to the cooling fluid. Furthermore, to ensure a strong mechanical bond between the winding portions, the sections b between each of the winding portions 28, 30 are impregnated with resin 41. Thus, a continuous bonded section B is formed extending circumferentially completely around the rotor 10, as shown in Figure 2a. As shown in Figures 3a to 3c, a pair of first and second winding portions 28, 30 are formed integrally from a conductive element 44. Each conductive element 44 is formed from a blank 45 of metal strip which is stamped from a metal sheet and comprises a pair of parallel strip portions in the form of legs 46 and 48 which form respectively the first and second winding portions 28 and 30. The leg portions 46 and 48 are joined together at their radially inner ends by a bridging portion 50. The dove-tail section 18 of the rotor 10 is formed in the bridging portion 50 by stamping indentations 18' in either side. The legs 46 and 48 are bent in opposite directions D 1 , D 2 perpendicular to the plane of the flat bridging portion 50 and are suitably bent to form the first and second winding portions 28, 30 having radially inner sections 34, radially extending sections 32, radially outer sections 36 and end sections 38. Each conductive element 44 is powder coated with insulating material, such as epoxy resin, in all areas apart from the end sections 38 and baked to form an insulating coating on the element before assembly. To assemble the rotor, the required number (129 in a particular example) of such bent conductive elements 44 are mutually positioned in a nesting arrangement with circumferentially equal spacing to form the disc structure of the rotor and the connecting caps 40 are soldered onto the end sections 38. Then the rotor 10 is placed on the hub, with the dove-tail portion 18 resting against the inter-engaging shoulder portion 20'. The cap 22 is fitted onto the hub 20 so that the dove-tail portion 18 is clamped between the cap 22 and the inter-engaging shoulder portion 20'. The laminated pieces 42 are then inserted in the ring of gaps between the radially extending sections 32. In a particularly advantageous arrangement, edge portions of the conductive elements form the commutator of the electric motor, these being edge portions of either the radially inner sections 34 or the radially outer sections 36. The insulating coating on the edges of the conductive elements 44 is removed from the commutator area before use. Alternatively, the edge portions may be masked during the powder coating operation so that the insulating powder is not deposited on these portions. The insulating material remaining on the broad faces of the conductive elements 44 is brittle or has a low resistance to wear so that, as the edges of the elements 44 are worn by contact with the brushes, the insulating material on the faces is also worn away at the face portions adjoining these edge portions forming the commutator and does not prevent the brushes from contacting the commutator. As the insulating material is worn away, it disintegrates into particles and is carried away by the cooling fluid flowing through the gaps G 1 or G 2 and therefore does not accumulate in the commutator area. Figure 4 shows an alternative form of blank 45' having three legs 51, 47 and 49. The width of the middle leg 47 is twice that of each of the outer legs 51 and 49. The outer legs 51 and 49 are bent in the same direction perpendicular to the strip, while the middle leg 47 is bent in an opposite direction to form an alternative conductive element. When assembled, the alternative conductive elements form a rotor in which the legs 51 and 47 form first and second winding portions 28 and 30 in first and second winding planes W 1 and W 2 while the leg 49 forms a third winding portion in a third winding plane parallel to the first and second winding planes. The three-plane construction reduces the problem of shearing between winding planes at high speeds, which is caused by the winding portions tending to straighten under high centrifugal forces. The division of the rotor into more winding planes of narrower width reduces the shearing forces between adjacent planes. Figure 5a shows several possible points P 1 , P 2 , P 3 on the edges of each conductive element 44 which may form the commutator area. Points P 1 are on either outer edge of the radially inner section 34, points P 2 are on either outer edge of the radially outer section 36, and point P 3 is on the radially outer edge of the end section 38. Figure 5b shows a modified metal strip in which one side of the radially outer section 36 is chamfered to form a commutator edge at an angle relative to the face of the rotor 10. The brushes contact the commutator edge at the point P 4 . The position of the commutator may be varied further by stamping the blank 45 in a form which includes a lateral projection from one side. In the form shown in Figure 5c, the lateral projection is located at the radially outer section 36, and in the assembled rotor will form a peripheral, axially projecting ring commutator which will be contacted by the brushes at the point P 5 , while in Figure 5d, the lateral projection is at the radially inner section 34 and will form an inner, axially projecting ring commutator adjacent the hub for contact by the brushes at the point P 6 . In another possible form shown in Figure 5e, the radially inner lateral projection is chamfered to form an angled commutator edge at the point P 7 . The various possible commutator points P 1 , P 2 , P 3 , P 4 , P 5 , P 6 , P 7 provide flexibility in the location of the brushes and therefore in the design of the electrical machine. Referring to Figures 6a and 6b, the cylindrical casing 26 which is attached to the outer edges of the stator plates 14, 16 is provided with a first set 52 and a second set 54 of louvres inclined in opposite directions relative to the tangential direction of the rotor. Each set comprises a ring of circumferentially spaced louvres, which are formed by cutting or punching the cylindrical casing 26 to form apertures and surfaces inclined in one or the other tangential direction. When the rotor rotates in the direction R, air is drawn into the casing 27 through the first set of louvres 52, and is expelled from the casing through the second set of louvres 54. On the other hand, when the rotor rotates in the opposite direction R', air is drawn into the casing through the second set of louvres 54 and expelled through the first set of louvres 52. As shown in Figure 6b, the rings of the first and second sets of louvres 52 and 54 are spaced apart from each other in the axial direction. Thus, the airflow F through the casing has an axial component and is forced through the gaps G 1 of the rotor 10. In an alternative cooling arrangement shown in Figure 7, the first stator plate 14 has a set of apertures 56 formed in a ring at a radially inner position. Air flows through the apertures 56 and the gaps G 2 at the radially inner part of the rotor into an annular air passage 58 or space through inlets 60 formed at a radially inner part of the second stator plate 16. This passage or space 58 is closed by an outer cover plate 61. The air flows radially through the air passage 58 and thence back into the space between the stator plates through outlets 62 formed at a radially outer part of the second stator plate 16. The air then passes through the gaps G 1 and out of the casing through louvres 64 which are all inclined to force air out of the casing 26. The air passage 58 is closed to the surroundings of the casing 26 and therefore the action of the louvres 64 on the air rotating with the rotor just inside the casing is to create a suction which draws air into the apertures 56 and through the air passage 58. In this embodiment, brushes 66 contact the edges of the winding portions 28, 30 in the area of the gaps G2, so that air flows through the commutator area. Moreover, air flows through the rotor in the commutator area in a direction towards the commutator surface and flows over the brushes in a direction away from the rotor, thereby carrying brush dust away from the commutator area. As shown in Figure 8, which shows two adjacent peripheral interconnections between end sections 38, viewed end-on in an inward radial direction, in an alternative embodiment the connecting caps 40 project beyond the rotor in the axial direction and the projecting portions are angled to form a first vane 68 inclined towards the direction of rotation R and a second vane 70 inclined away from the direction of rotation R. Thus, the vanes 68 and 70 act as fan blades to direct the flow F of air through the gap G 1 , thus enhancing the cooling effect. The combination of the rotor shown in Figures 2a and 2b with the casing shown in either Figures 6b or Figure 7 and optionally the connecting caps 40 shown in Figure 8, provides a particularly advantageous cooling effect in which cooling fluid is directed through sections of the rotor in which the cooling effect of the fluid is optimised. To allow mechanical variation of the running speed of the electric motor, the spacing between the magnets 12, 13 and the rotor 10 may be adjusted as shown in Figure 8 so as to vary the strength of the magnetic field applied to the rotor 10. In this embodiment, the magnets 12, 13 are mounted on first and second axially movable stator plates 74 and 76. The axially movable stator plates 74, 76 are biased towards each other by the mutual magnetic attraction of the magnets 12 and 13 which are arranged with opposite poles facing each other. The plates 74, 76 can be forced apart by rotatable cams 72 which contact the plates 74, 76. Alternatively, the separation between the movable plates 74 and 76 may be adjusted by one or more screw threaded rods which pass through apertures in the plates 74, 76, and have opposite handed screw threads in the sections which engage the first and second stator plates 74, 76. As a further alternative, the separation may be adjusted by one or more screw-threaded rods which have a single screw thread which engages one of the stator plates 74, 76 and which abuts the other of the stator plates 74, 76. The stator plates 74, 76 are held in position by springs or by the mutual magnetic attraction of the magnets 12 and 13. While the above embodiments include a current-carrying rotor and a magnet-carrying stator, it is clear that the current-carrying member could be held stationary, and the magnetic portion allowed to rotate. Although the stator described above carries permanent magnets, electro-magnets may also be used. Thus, the present invention provides a rotor for an electric machine, which is inexpensive to manufacture, and a casing for a self-cooling electrical machine that does not require separate cooling means to achieve high performance.

Claims: A conductive rotor (10) for an electrical machine, having a current-carrying winding comprising a plurality of circumferentially distributed winding portions (28, 30) which lie in a plurality of winding planes (W 1 , W 2 ) perpendicular to the rotor axis, and extend from a radially inner region to a radially outer region, wherein each winding portion (28, 30) includes a radially extending section (32) and a radially outer section (36) extending at a substantial angle less than 90 degrees relative to the radius in which said radially extending section lies, wherein the radially outer sections (36) of adjacent winding portions are spaced apart to allow fluid flow therebetween over a substantial portion of the length of the radially outer sections, characterised in that circumferentially adjacent ones of the winding portions contact each other adjacent a radially inner end of the radially outer sections (36) so as to promote a component of said fluid flow axially of the rotor through the gaps between adjacent radially outer portions. A conductive rotor (10) as claimed in claim 1, in which circumferentially adjacent ones of the winding portions are bonded together adjacent said radially inner end of said radially outer sections (36) such that the winding portions of the rotor are continuously bonded together in an area extending circumferentially completely around the rotor. A conductive rotor (10) for an electrical machine, having a current-carrying winding comprising a plurality of circumferentially distributed winding portions (28, 30) which lie in a plurality of winding planes perpendicular to the rotor axis, and extend from a radially inner region to a radially outer region, and a commutator provided by surfaces of the winding portions (28, 30), the winding being formed of a plurality of integrally formed conductive elements (44) each comprising a metal strip (45), characterised in that the surfaces providing the commutator are edge surfaces of the metal strip (45), said edge surfaces being spaced apart from each other to allow fluid flow therebetween for cooling the commutator. A conductive rotor (10) as claimed in claim 3, in which the major surfaces of the metal strip are coated adjacent the commutator with an insulating material. A conductive rotor (10) as claimed in claim 4, wherein said insulating material has a relatively low wear resistance so that it will readily wear or break away from said major surfaces at their portions adjoining said edge surfaces as the commutator wears during use. A conductive rotor (10) as claimed in claim 5, wherein said insulating material is a coating formed by baking a powder coating applied to said conductive sections. A conductive rotor (10) as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, including a plurality of pieces of a material of high magnetic permeability each located between adjacent said radially extending sections. A rotor (10) for an electrical machine, having a current-carrying winding comprising a plurality of circumferentially distributed winding portions (28, 30) which lie in a plurality of winding planes perpendicular to the rotor axis, and extend from a radially inner region to a radially outer region, the winding being formed from a plurality of conductive sections each having ends (38) which lie at said outer regions, characterised in that interconnections between said ends of said conductive sections are made by interconnecting members having vanes (68, 70) arranged to direct cooling fluid over said ends (38). A casing (26) for an electrical machine having a rotor (10), said casing (26) having first (52) and second (54) sets of cooling vents enabling cooling fluid to flow respectively into and out of said casing (26) when said rotor (10) rotates, in which the first set (52) of vents is disposed at a radially inner portion of the casing (26) to one axial side of the rotor, and the second set (54) of vents is disposed at a radially outer portion of the casing (26), characterised in that said casing (26) includes a fluid passage (58) having an inlet (60) arranged at an opposite axial side of the rotor (10) from the first set of vents, and an outlet (62) arranged radially outwardly of the inlet, such that, in use of the machine, cooling fluid will be directed axially through a radially inner portion of the rotor (10) to the inlet into the fluid passage, and will thereafter be directed towards a radially outer portion of the rotor (10) from the outlet

Inventors: LYNCH CEDRIC, LYNCH, CEDRIC
Applicants: LYNCH I P LTD, LYNCH I.P. LIMITED
Application year: 1994
Main classification: H02K5
IPC codes: H02K9, H02K3, H02K23, H02K5, H02K13